Google could be fined the maximum amount for allegedly hampering an investigation into its business practices in South Korea.

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Google is reportedly facing the maximum fine from the Korean Fair Trade Commission, for allegedly obstructing an investigation into its business practices, CNet has said.

Officials from the commission raided Google's Seoul offices in September. Chairman of the South Korean antitrust commission, Kim Dong-soo, told Korean paper Hanook Ilbo (via Google Translate) that Google hampered the investigation by deleting important files from company computers and telling employees to work from home.

Google did not immediately respond to questions about the matter. CNet said the Internet giant denies wrongdoing, claiming that it neither deleted documents nor directed employees to telecommute. The company also said that it has not been told of any fines the commission is considering.

"We will, of course, continue cooperating with this and other government inquiries," Google spokesperson Adam Kovacevich said.

Officials are investigating a complaint filed in April by NHM and Daum Communications, two Internet companies that claimed Google is unfairly hindering competition in the mobile search market on its Android platform.

Part of this investigation includes exploring Google's preloading Android-based devices with the Google Search app as the default search utility, which leads customers to choose this service over competitors.

In September, Google said it was cooperating with South Korean authorities.

"We will work with the KFTC to address any questions they may have about our business," the company said. "Android is an open platform, and carrier and OEM partners are free to decide which applications and services to include on their Android phones. We do not require carriers or manufacturers to include Google Search or Google applications on Android-powered devices."

If Google is convicted, CNet said the commission could potentially impose a fine of up to 200 won ($172,000), which is chump change for a company of Google's size and reach. However, employees and execs could be fined up to 50 million won, or about $43,000.

Google also faces antitrust investigations and proceedings in the U.S. and Europe.

Stateside, in December, the Senate's top-ranking antitrust officials penned a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) expressing concern over Google's business practices, asking the FTC to investigate whether or not Google favors its own properties in search results.

Leslie Horn joined the PCMag team as a news reporter in the fall of 2010. She covers a wide range of topics from digital media to the latest Apple rumor. After graduating with a degree in Magazine Journalism from the University of Missouri, she wrote for Out & About, a travel guide in coastal Maine. One of her favorite reporting experiences was covering the 2008 Olympics from Beijing. She travels every chance she gets, and recently spent time backpacking along the coast of Brazil. Though she...
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